This blog details my adventures in being a mom, and trying to find a balance with my family, my career and my love of running!

I touched on this briefly on Tuesday and it’s wonderful how my feelings around my running have changed in this training regimen. I was not expecting the change, but I do welcome it, and hope that it stays with me for the rest of my running years.

Before, my goal always was always to run further than last month, to run harder than last month. I didn’t care how many days I needed to run, or how far each day was. There wasn’t so much a plan, it was more a running free for all. But this week I noticed that my brain doesn’t think like that anymore. I couldn’t tell you how much I am scheduled to run this month, let alone run this week. I can tell you when my next run is, and how far/fast that run is supposed to be, and when I am planning to run it, but that’s all. I remember what I have run already this week but I don’t obsess about what is to come. In fact I enjoy my runs so much more because I am just following a plan and only need to focus on one run at a time, the run I’m completing.

The other funny part is that because I always run Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, if I have to shift a run, even if it’s for a very understandable reason, it throws off my whole understanding of the week. For example, I was CONVINCED yesterday was Friday because my easy run was done on Wednesday night instead of Thursday morning, so I could be home with my babies while they were sick. So today, which is actually Friday, I’m so confused!!

It’s nice to be running with a purpose but not be obsessing about the details. I always dreamed that I would make it to this stage of running but never really believed it would happen. Now that it has I’m settling into my new life very nicely. I’m fitter than ever, I love my running, and I can eat what I like without obsessing over points and stay at the same weight. I have to say that life is good.